Jedi
Jedi Order The Jedi order is Faerun is an organization of Psionic warriors dedicated to maintaining Peace and Order in the world. History Before the Order Gareth Jedi began his life in the village of Kzelter in the year of the Telling Winds, 1048. He was the illegitimate son of a Tethyrean noble and his mistress. The noble had a summer home in the said village, and after the birth of Gareth (who took his mother's last name for logistical purposes) the summer chateau was given to the mistress, so that she could raise Gareth out of the public eye. When Gareth was of the appropriate age he was sent to Saradush to be educated. In Gareth's 4th year of schooling, he entered the Hall of Knowledge, a university dedicated to the faiths of Oghma and Deneir. For the next 6 years Gareth toiled in the hall. He proved to be extremely intelligent and quick thinking. He excelled in all areas of higher learning, but met with continually failure in practicing the priestly arts. The scholars and clergy alike were baffled as to why a youth so gifted in intellect and so dedicated to the faith could fail to even rank among the novices of the church. On the eve of his 17th birthday, Gareth packed his meager belongings in preparation to return to his home village. He had to accept the fact that despite his dedication and intelligence, he would not ever join the ranks of his chosen faith. On his way out of the city, a mysterious traveler met with Gareth. This traveler gave him an ancient libram, and bade Gareth to then travel to Sheirtalar in the Western edge of the Shaar-reach. Gareth scoffed at the notion of traveling so far for no reason except the word of an unknown wanderer, but accepted the book anyways. On his way home from Saradush, Gareth read the text, and was amazed by the knowledge contained. In the book, Gareth found the answers to the questions that had plagued him for years: Why could he not cast magic? The answer was in what the book termed 'the Force' The Force was explained as an all encompassing entity that possesses a nexus in the mind of every living being. The book further explained divisions of the Force, and the nature in which the Universe was guided by this unseen yet all pervading element. Gareth was so intrigued by the ideas that the text generated that he returned to Saradush to find the traveler. The traveler, however, was not to be found. Nonplussed, and certainly re-invigorated, Gareth Jedi traveled past his home village all the way to Sheirtalar, a trip of nearly a thousand miles. During his voyage, Gareth studied the book thoroughly, and began forming conjectures of his own. By the time he arrived in Sheirtalar, young Jedi had already developed a sense of the Force and could shape it in rudimentary fashions. The Golden Years of Knowledge With Gareth leading, the four young wanders soon founded a council. It was clear that Gareth had the keenest relationship with the Force, and was a natural leader. The council was comprised of; Daniella Hawkflower, a young noble spirit who was the product of a ranger father and an elven mother. Daniella grew up in the forests of the Border Kingdom. At a young age, she set off on her own to find her own way in the word. She soon encountered the traveler who sent her to Sheirtalar. Rastor Forge, an intelligent and fiercely independent human, whom had been abandoned as a child and grown up quickly on the streets of Calimport. He eventually fell one step behind the law and was sold as a slave, where he was bought by a pirate and sent to work on the islands of the Shining Sea. Rastor engineered an escape and found himself in the Shaar, where the hooded traveler contacted him and persuaded him to then travel to meet what soon became the council. The third member was the youngest. Trevor Beillerd was a shy child from the city of Sheirtalar. He was attempting to become a scholar, but due to financial reasons, was going to become an apprentice aboard a fishing vessel. That was until some unknown benefactor paid his family a large sum of money and asked for nothing, but Trevor's attendance in return. Gareth and the others soon found themselves deep in study, of the mysterious ways of the force. For nearly a year the four lived in the Inn in Sheirtalar, and studied undisturbed. They soon all decided that a school should be created. They began advertising and recruiting in the town and within a month had weekly meetings in an abandoned warehouse, where 30 to 40 students learned and shared discoveries in the Force. At about this time, the resident priestess of Selune caught wind of these meetings. Concerned with what she thought might be a cult, she sought out a colleague, a cleric/wizard of Mystra. The two clergy members surreptitiously watched the proceedings of a meeting of the council and grew convinced that this was a study of the occult. They deemed the Force to be some dark twisting of magic, possibly even granted by some Demon. They went directly to the Town watch and orchestrated what was supposed to be a non-violent eviction. The result of the watch intrusion was 14 students killed and over 20 wounded. Gareth, Daniella, Trevor, and a handful of students fled to the North. They stopped in Ormpur for a few days, in order to buy supplies, and then continued on to Suldophor. Back in Sheirtalar, Rastor stayed in hiding until many of the captured and wounded students were released (also 'releasing' a few on his own) and then he went North as well. The foursome, with about 20 students in tow, met up in Suldophor and then pressed on to Saelmur. Once in Saelmur, the council once again set up shop, but this time some changes were made. Each member took a vow of secrecy, and the whole group took their society underground (not literally, mind you). Over the next five years the Order was established. New members were few, and they were only taken in with the utmost of caution and secrecy. Once the Order was established, nearly 8 years of growth and Knowledge was pursued. Gareth grew wise and humbly powerful in the Force. He guided his Order to be scholarly and humble in their education. His title was given as First Master Jedi. The former council members were given the 'Master' title. A strict and loyal ranking system ensued. Daniella and Trevor then traveled North and West into Amn and Tethyr in order to seek more knowledge and to possibly form another bastion of the Order in a Western City. At this point in time, the Order boasted just over 2 dozen masters, and served to educate nearly 250 students. The Fracture It was during this time that trouble began brewing. A group of young students, most of whom ranked in the 2nd order, formed a loose allegiance to each other, and began using the Force outside the confines of the University. It began innocently enough, using minor mind reading skills to win petty cash at gambling houses, but digressed from there. Soon whole sale embezzlement and espionage was taking place. The Authorities of Saelmur were roused, and so was the ire of the Master's council. First Master Jedi bade Master Rastor to bring in the wayward students before the city guard did. Rastor quickly brought the leaders of the group in, but the other young members fled in fear of what punishment the notoriously harsh Master Rastor might have in store. Rastor pursued the young students throughout the city, staying one step ahead of the Guard. Over the next several days, the run-aways all united, and were going to turn themselves in to Rastor, but the City Guard beat him to the meeting ground. The Guard misinterpreted the groups sudden unity as a hostile venture and attacked. Rastor entered the scene and promptly turned the chaos into carnage. Not a single member of the attacking Guard force left the building. Rastor gathered up the remaining students and returned to the University. A meeting of the Masters was called to decide what the next course of action should be. Three groups were formed: Those who felt that the Order should close its doors and go into hiding until the threat passed, those who held Rastor and the group of students responsible and demanded that Rastor turn himself into the Authorities, and those (led by Rastor himself) who felt that the time to be passive was over. Rastor, and a small group of masters wanted to play an active role in the city. Rastor wanted to infiltrate the Royal family that presided over the city and thereby subtly influence the city through the minds of its leaders. Through democracy, the council decided to choose the first option. Rastor and his group of activists were not pleased. They brought the rest of the students into the equation. They demanded that the matter be brought to all of the members of the order, and rallied the young students into a frenzy. Gareth Jedi, along with most of the other masters attempted to mitigate the situation, but a storm was brewing. While the University was in uproar, two of the masters who had supported the idea of Rastor turning himself in decided to approach the Guard House, and tip off the Captain of the Guard as to the whereabouts of Master Rastor. A massive strike force was assembled outside the University. Meanwhile, inside the University, First Master Gareth was just beginning to get things under control. He pulled Rastor aside, and asked him to assemble a small group of students, including all of the delinquent students, along with several other masters, and join Daniella and Trevor in Amn. Rastor, seeing the wisdom of fleeing the city, and the apparent leniency of the First Master, readily agreed. Rastor gathered his students and young masters, and exited the University....onto the waiting blades of the Guard. After a brief and lopsided struggle outside the University, Rastor rallied his surviving students and retreated back into the building. Thinking that First Master Gareth had sent him to his death, he descended upon him with a vengeance. Gareth was taken completely by surprise and was mortally wounded. This tipped off the Civil War inside the Order. Rastor's supporters fought the stricken Gareth supporters, while the City Guard further complicated matters by storming the building and attacking anybody within. It was pure chaos. In the end, the University, which had contained a decades worth of diligence and knowledge, was burned to the ground. Of the 250 students and the 28 masters in the building, only 50 survived. Rastor, one of the few surviving masters fled along with another master and a dozen students. Of Gareth's loyal men, only 5 masters and 30 students drew breath. The Darkness At this point in the turbulent history of the Jedi Order, Daniella and Trevor returned from their missions and began picking up the pieces. They relocated the order in the city Innarlith. They kept an extremely low profile, spending several years trying to rebuild the knowledge that was lost in the University. A new position in the order was created to fill First Master Gareth's void. Daniella was elected the Jedi Master. Master Trevor Beillerd also created a new branch of the order given the name Justicar. Justicar Beillerd, his padowa, and 2 Jedi Knights then set out to determine the where abouts of Rastor. Rastor, meanwhile, had been utterly consumed with rage over the supposed betrayal. He re-formed his students as the Sith, and fashioned himself as the Lord of the Sith. He set up his organization in his homeland of Calimport. Over the next several years, he too, rebuilt the knowledge of the Force. Lord Rastor delved into the recesses of the Natural Force. He found hidden reserves of power in places where the Force was twisted. He soon fathered what would forever be known as the Dark Side of the Force. Lord Rastor built the sith into his own twisted image. At this point, Justicar Trevor Beillerd caught up to Lord Rastor, and found just how vile he had become. Beillerd still held out hope for his old friend, though. He approached Lord Rastor, and pleaded with him to return to the Order and to abandon the Dark Side. Rastor assumed that this was another trick, and murdered Justicar Beillerd and his small entourage. Fearing that the Order would continue hunting him, Lord Rastor formed a small attack unit, with himself at the lead. Lord Rastor and his assassins traveled back to the East and into Innarlith. Taking on the guise of Beillerd and his men, the sith infiltrated the Order. Over the next several days, the Sith assassinated the Masters of the Order. Jedi Master Daniella, alone among the masters, survived. Once again, the Order fled. Daniella took her padowa and just 6 Jedi Knights with her. She took the Order all the way to Crimmor, a small town on the north side of Amn. She had been to Crimmor once before, along with Trevor, and had made several friends, whom she now relied upon to hide her and her followers. Jedi Master Hawkflower stayed in Crimmor for the next 25 years. Rebuilding During the 25 years in Crimmor, the Order survived. They dared not recruit, or even practice their knowledge for fear of Lord Rastor finding them. They silently studied and made trips to Candlekeep every other year. In the year 1106, Daniella left Crimmor for the Cloud Peaks. With the help of her Padowa and 3 of the Jedi Knights (the other 3 stayed in hiding in Crimmor) Daniella built a small, monastery-like building hidden in the mountains. She and her Knights worked for months in masking the area from the Force. They called the Building the 'Last Bastion of Knowledge'. After the completion of the Bastion, Jedi Master Hawkflower then began the slow process of re-building the order. Meanwhile, the 3 Jedi Knights in Crimmor created a school. From this school they were able to spot children who were strong in sensing the Force and regularly sent students up to the Cloud Peaks to learn from The Jedi Master. In the year 1149 Jedi Master Daniella stepped down from her position as Jedi Master, once again assuming the title 'Master'. She continued teaching at the Bastion (which had now been built into a small but near impregnable fortress) until the tender age of 201 (she passed on in the year 1250). Daniella's successor was a middle aged, but fiery master named Beorner. Jedi Master Beorner sanctioned the creation of several other schools along the sword coast. None of these schools taught the mysteries of the Force, but served the same purpose as the University in Crimmor. The only place that the Order actually taught in, was the Bastion. By Jedi Master Beorner's death in 1199, the Order had 10 masters and about 125 students. The next Jedi Master elected was a Dwarf by the name of Ulrich 'The Third Eye'. Jedi Master Ulrich was 198 years of age when he assumed the title, and headed the order for 165 years. He passed on in the year 1364. During his tenure, the Order thrived. Jedi Master Ulrich sanctioned a slow but steady growth in the ranks. At the time of his death, there were 50 Masters, and nearly 400 students. The Center of learning remained the Bastion. Only the Masters, their Padowa, and Jedi Knights were allowed to take their training outside of the Peaks. During the last decade of Ulrichs reign, a resurgence of interest concerning the Sith had taken place. Throughout the peaceful years at the bastion, only a handful of run-ins with the Sith took place. Just enough to continually remind the Order that the Sith were still enduring, and still craving the destruction of the Jedi Order. When Jedi Master Ulrich died, he nominated Master Ryshod to succeed him. The council of masters agreed. The new Jedi Master Ryshod (and current Jedi Master) re-instituted the role of the Justicar, and renewed the search for the Sith. Recent Events 1370: The Jedi Order has been re-discovered by the Sith. The Bastion has as of yet escaped detection, but Jedi working outside of the Cloud Peaks have found that they are being hunted. In response many have returned to the Bastion for safety. This also was the catalyst for the re-establishment of the Justicar position. 1373: Jedi Master Brendiman reveals himself to be a Sith lord. His apprentice kills several students at the bastion. Brendiman is confronted by Ronan. Brendiman escapes. These events lead to the relocation of the Bastion. The ‘new’ Bastion is now the Cloud Castle (the cloud castle possessed by Ronan and his adventuring friends). 1374: Sith activity located in Waterdeep. A jedi master and his apprentice are sent to investigate and wind up being framed for multiple murders. The Sith seem to have infiltrated a Church of Shar in the Undermountain. Jedi Order Organization The Jedi have a very regimented structure. Below is the hierarchy. Initiates The Order's hierarchy is very strict. At the bottom of the Order are the Initiates. Initiates are generally between the ages of 4 and 10. Children younger than the age of four are never taken into the Order. Only on rare occasions will children older than eleven or twelve remain at the initiate rank. Usually these older initiates were either discovered late, but were deemed to have strong potential, and quickly move up to higher ranks, or are failed students who generally quit the school. The Initiates have a rigorous lessons schedule. They are taught their letters, numbers, science, history, the fundamentals of the Force, and begin a physical training routine. They have a very structured life consisting of their studies, their exercises, and their chores. The masters decide when an initiate is ready to advance to 1st order. To be promoted, one School Master must nominate the initiate, and then be seconded. A round of voting among the school masters then decides if the initiate advances. If the vote does not display a clear majority (usually over 65%) then a school master could request the vote be taken to a council of all the masters (with a tie being decided by the vote of the Jedi Master). 1st Order The 1st Order students continue their class room lessons, but begin a more extensive education in the Force and in their physical exercises. They remain in the same dormitories they possessed as initiates, and assume the role as wardens for the initiates in the dormitories and at the mess hall. The average age of an incoming 1st Order student is 10. Most Graduate to the rank of 2nd Order by their 13th birthday. Taking the step from 1st Order to 2nd Order is difficult. It is up to the student to declare when he is ready to advance. After the student has declared his intentions of advancement, there is no turning back. He or she must either pass whatever the test the masters put him up to, or he is ejected from the school. The test that the Masters create is continually changing. No 2 tests are alike. Generally, the student must display his knowledge of the Force, he must display his physical prowess, and must display strength of character. After taking the test, the school masters deliberate, and then vote upon the outcome. 2nd Order 2nd Order students are removed from the rest of the student population. They are formed into small groups. These small groups live outside of the Bastion in the peaks of the Mountains. Each group has either a master/school master or a Jedi Knight assigned to it. This leader rarely speaks. The 2nd Order student spends its days with its group patrolling the Mountain. They seek understanding and enlightenment. The only time the leader speaks is to answer a question. Often times this leader will not answer a question for many days, holding in order to let the questioning student come to the answer on his or her own. The art of meditation and introspection is developed during this time of the students career. A second order student can only graduate to the rank of Padowa when someone of at least a Master's rank decides to take on an apprentice. Since a Master or Justicar may only have one apprentice at a time, the wait of a Second Order student is sometimes a long one. Most 2nd Order students are taken as a Padowa by their 17th or 18th birthday, but some have been taken as late as their 25th or as early as their 14th. 2nd Order students who are either not taken, or decide that they want to quit are not always simply ejected as is the case for initiates and 1st orders. Many times, they become teachers and scholars at Universities around Faerun. They continue working on behalf of the Order by acting as the Orders eyes and ears outside of the Cloud Peaks. A very sacred vow of secrecy is taken by these members of the Order. They continue to hold their rank as 2nd Order Students. Padowa Padowan are taught by their Master. Some masters travel and adventure with their Padowan while some stay among the peaks of Cloud. Every apprenticeship is personal and sacred. The Master-Padowa relationship is nurtured. It usually begins as a paternal relationship, but develops into a relationship of more equality. The Master shares his wisdom, knowledge, and experience freely with his padowa. The master also constructs a psi-blade for his Padowa, and teaches the Padowa how to use it. The Padowa in return is bound to serve his master to the best of his ability. The Master and the Padowa mutually decide when the Padowa is ready to move on. A meeting is called when this occurs, where all Masters available attend. In this meeting both the Master and his Padowa explain why he thinks that that the Padowa is ready to ascend rank. The collected Masters will question the Padowa and evaluate his answers. Sometimes (but not always) a Padowa is asked to demonstrate skills with the Force, Martial Skills, or even Skills with the Psi-Blade. At the end of this meeting, all the masters put the matter to a vote. Only a simple majority is required to pass, but due to the nature of politics, the Jedi Master reserves the right to outright veto a decision. If such is the case, the Padowa continues his service to the Master for at least another 6 months before it can be put to vote again. A master can release a Padowa from service. At which point it is up to the School Masters to decide his fate. Usually the Padowa is demoted to 2nd Order where he can again wait for an apprenticeship, or he can quit as explained in the 2nd Order section. Padowan who pass the vote become Jedi Knights. Jedi Knight Jedi Knights are officially representatives of the Order. They are trusted to travel the world and not disclose the secrets of the Jedi Order. Jedi Knights represent the fighting force of the Jedi Order. A Jedi Knight is left to his own devices. He pursues his training and his Art as he sees fit. Many Jedi Knights stay in the Bastion to further their studies, help educate the young students, or continue working with his former master. Other Jedi Knights have seen enough of the Bastion through their years of training, and pursue further learning outside the Mountains. If the Jedi Knight wishes to eventually move up in rank, he certainly must some how work for the benefit of the Order. The path to promotion to the rank of master, school master, or Justicar is not as formal and structured as the previous promotions. When a Jedi Knight feels that he is ready to join the ranks of the masters, he simply conveys this to the council. Then he must somehow prove that he is ready. Some do this by bringing new knowledge or skills to the council. Some challenge established masters to duels of the mind. It is entirely up to the Jedi Knight; it falls to him to prove himself worthy. The Masters themselves decide when they have seen enough. The Jedi Master again maintains a rarely used veto power in the promotion of a Jedi knight. Some Jedi Knights do not ever seek promotion, some do seek promotion but never attain it, and still (few) others do not seek promotion, but through their actions are tapped for promotion by the master. Master/Professor/Justicar A promoted Jedi Knight is promoted to a specific rank; Master, School Master, or Justicar. The Master is the standard promotion. They are the embodiment of the Order, and are ever conscious of the Force. The School Master is Master with the added duties of teaching the students of the Bastion. The School Masters are also called Professors. The Justicar is a Master who has been tested in the crucible and honed to be a weapon of the Order. They are to be the striking Hammer of the Jedi. This does not mean that they are war mongers, just that when there is no alternative to War, they are the perfect warriors. At the Present it is the duty of the Justicar to track down the elusive sith. Councilor The council consists of 10 Jedi Masters. The Grandmaster appoints Councilor members. The appointment is technically a life term, but a majority Council vote can demote a current Councilor (with approval from the Grand Master). The Council is the decision making body for the Jedi Order. In the event that the current Grand Master is killed or needs to be replaced, it is up to the Council to elect a suitable replacement. Grand Master of the Order The current Master of the Order is a human male named Ryshod *Note: Initiates, 1st Order Students, and certain others who fail their training, are ejected, or quit are subject to a mindwipe. This ensures the continued secrecy of the Order. Notable Jedi Master of the Order Ryshod: Human male. born 1322. Ryshod has been Master of the order since 1364. Ryshod is a very proactive Master of the Order, he has instituted the most rapid growth program in centuries. He also re-instituted the Justicar position and sanctioned the Reformation of the Jedi Order. Councilor Ronan Dren: Ronan has been at the fore front of the battle against the Sith. He spearheaded the effort to oppose Darth Pyltur and also was the author of the Reformation of the Jedi Order. Before becoming a Councilor, Ronan was a Justicar. Ronan's experience outside of the Order gives considerable weight to his judgments and opinions. He is the ranking Jedi in Waterdeep, Cormyr and Neverwinter. Justicar Kiya "The Dragonfly" Nessus: Kiya has established herself as possibly the best lightsaber fighter the Order has ever seen. She pursues the Sith with steadfast determination. She has been away from the Bastion (and now the Castle) for quite some time. As such, she has yet to fully adjust to the Reformation. Many think that perhaps Kiya should have been made a Councilor. Master Kun-low:''' '''Kun-low is a teaching master. He has embraced the Reformation. In order to help the growth of the Order, Kun-low agreed to take on two padawan, a practice that is normally forbidden. Jedi Class and Prestige Classes for v3.5 Jedi Class Category:Groups Category:Jedi